Thomas Farm

Suzanne Conner, an expert excavator and trend-setter in digging footware. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

One of many examples of a tasty lunch prepared by Elena Mavrodieva. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Celeste Shitama and Dave Steadman in early stages of removing the mandible of a coyote-sized canid. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

The beautifully laminated sediments at Thomas Farm. Fossils tend to be more concentrated in the light gray sand. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Wooden box screens, containing washed sediment and fossils, drying in the sun. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Close-up of a drying boney scute of Olsen’s alligator. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Elena Mavrodieva preparing lunch. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Elena’s daughter Anna helping her mom in the kitchen. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

A mandible (lower jaw) of the three-toed horse Parahippus leonensis. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Florida Museum vertebrate paleontologist Art Poyer working with Chuck Wood and George Weems are the screen-washing table. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Cindy Lockner carefully removing small fossils. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Lauren Brochu and Judy Lundquist taking a small breather from digging. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Oona Takano, Karina Soto-Centeno, and Karina’s dad, Angel, listening to Dave say something unimportant. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Angel showing daughter Karina a tiny fossil that they just have excavated. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Veteran Thomas Farm digger Erika Simons. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Patty Geisler laughing at (not with) Dave as he holds a small fossil that she has just exhumed. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Patty Geisler seeking more attention with an unidentifiable fossil fragment. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Orlando school teacher Brian Clyne carefully studying a fossil that will require a plaster jacket to remove it intact. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Dave, having fun with the wet plaster, in the process of making a jacket for a horse jaw. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

One of the many fossils found by Cindy Lockner in 2012, in this case a foot bone of the large bear-dog Amphicyon. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Oona Takano, along with Karina and Angel Soto-Centeno. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Suzanne Conner digging in some ugly clay in order to get to the sand where most of the fossils are. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Panoramic view of the March-April 2012 dig (Hummingbird Challenge VIII) in full swing. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

Cindy Lockner and Dave Steadman making a plaster jacket in order to remove a large fossil. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

A fine time being had by all at Hummingbird Challenge VIII. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace

A fine time being had by all at Hummingbird Challenge VIII. © Florida Museum photo by Kristen Grace